Brazil

Comigo ninguém pode, a plant popularity known in Brazil, is the title of the exhibition that brings into dialogue, through an unexpected composition, two contemporary artists working on the performative rewriting of colonial histories: Rosana Paulino and Adriana Varejão. Comigo ninguém pode comes from the Portuguese name for the plant known in English as dumb cane or leopard lily (Dieffenbachia) – a species widely at the entrances of houses in Brazil as a symbol of spiritual protection. The ambiguity and syncretism of the term, which also became a popular saying, can be understood as “Nobody can defeat me” or “Don’t mess with me!”, meanings that allude to the plant’s toxicity.

By evoking this energy, Comigo ninguém pode invites a shift in perception, opening the possibility of seeing the transcendent within the visible. It reflects on the manifestation of faith and spirituality within Brazilian culture, highlighting its close relationship with nature and more-than-human realms.

The exhibition adopts an installation-based approach and features commissioned, historical and previously unseen works, alongside new large-scale pieces. The project offers a visceral call-and-response on how spirituality and nature can shape a public imagination that rewrites history and re-signifies colonial ruins and wounds through fantastic and magical beings.